But as he arrived at UL, Levi Lewis found himself on the receiving end of some sage advice that the Ragin’ Cajuns quarterback took to heart.

“I’ve got to be hungry,” said Lewis, who started the year in a battle to be the Cajuns’ starting QB when UL opens its 2018 season at home against Grambling, followed by a visit to Mississippi State and a home game against Coastal Carolina before a visit to Alabama.

“My dad (Greg) told me when I first got here, ‘Just stay hungry and stay humble and do what you’ve got to do.’”

Pops wasn’t the only one dishing words of wisdom.

“My mom (Celeste), my family, my coaches, my mentors — they’d just tell me just be me; be the guy I am and do what I’ve been doing,” said Lewis, who has three brothers and a sister. “‘Do what got you here. You can’t fake it, because if you fake it it’s gonna bend and break you at some point in time.’”

It’s something to keep in mind as Lewis tries to do what he did for three games as a true freshman last season: start.

The product of Scotlandville Magnet High in Baton Rouge began the offseason as one of several contenders to start under first-year coach Billy Napier, with Andre Nunez and Jordan Davis also chief among them.

The field was quickly whittled with Kadon Harrison’s move to receiver early in spring practice.

Shortly after UL’s spring game in April, Davis — who began last season as the Cajuns’ starter, and had one year of eligibility remaining — left the program.

SOLID SPRING GAME

As for Lewis, he certainly is a contender — especially after a spring game in which he finished 14-of-22 for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

It was a solid showing after a freshman year in which Lewis burned his redshirt just to appear in four late-season games, including starts in a win over South Alabama (his debut), a loss at Ole Miss and a loss to Georgia Southern.

At the time, it appeared Lewis could be UL’s quarterback of the future.

Hampered by an ankle injury, he completed 28-of-54 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a completion percentage of 51.9 percent, and ran 37 times for 175 yards and one touchdown, averaging 4.7 yards per attempt.

But Davis started a season-ending loss at Appalachian State with a potential bowl bid on the line, coach Mark Hudspeth was fired at the end of a 5-7 year that capped three straight losing seasons and former Clemson and Arizona State offensive coordinator Napier was hired a short time later — leaving Lewis to have to prove himself to a new coaching staff.

“No matter what it is,” Lewis said back in the spring, “a champion is gonna adjust.

“So no matter what (UL’s offense is) — underneath center all the time, gun all the time, mixing it — I would have to adjust. I went in with that mindset, and did so.”

He emerged from the spring game as the favorite to start in the eyes of at least some, if not many, and went into offseason work this summer looking to improve on technique.

He said he wanted a better “go ball.” He wanted to throw better inside routes. He wanted to head into preseason camp with better drop steps, and better timing with his receivers too.

“Just the little things — because the little things are going to carry over when the game is on the line,” Lewis said.

Using NBA comparisons as if he where the point guard, Lewis suggested he wanted to better learn where which receivers best like to get the ball, who’s gonna go up and get it, who favors finesse.

It’s a process that started last year, when — albeit late, as his redshirt wasn’t removed until the season’s final month — he started to develop a comfort level with UL’s primary pass-catchers, almost all of whom, including Keenan Barnes, Ja’Marcus Bradley, Ryheem Malone and Michael Jacquet, are returning.

“But there’s always room for improvement. I’m never satisfied,” Lewis said. “I always want to be perfect — even though we can’t really be perfect.”